Night hung heavy, and the moon finally slipped free of the clouds, quietly peeking out.
In the main hall of Blazing Flame Peak, long rows of candles burned on either side, their flames lighting the darkness. A woman in red reclined languidly on the seat of honor, gorgeous and alluring.
Yet her expression was indescribably cold. Below her knelt a trembling man, his clothes in disarray.
The woman studied her beautifully trimmed nails, humming a tune with careless ease.
For the man kneeling below, every moment grew harder to endure.
He had just opened his mouth when a disciple beside him slapped a Silencing Talisman onto him. The disciple's eyes held contempt, making his disdain for the kneeling man plain.
Only after a long, long while did the woman in the seat of honor finally move.
With a wave of her hand, the Silencing Talisman on him burst into flames, and his clothes burned along with it.
The man begged loudly, "Peak Master, Peak Master, I won't dare do it again! Never again!"
Hong Ling suddenly giggled. Barefoot, she descended the steps and hooked a finger beneath the man's chin, gazing at him tenderly.
"Zhan Sheng, how long have you been with me?"
Sweat already covered the man's once-pretty face, stripping it of its former handsomeness. A hint of distaste crossed Hong Ling's face, and she withdrew her hand.
Only when Hong Ling turned away did the man answer softly, "Fifty-seven years."
Hong Ling nodded, sounding a little wistful. "So it's been that long already."
Hearing her sudden sigh of nostalgia, the man thought he might still escape this calamity. He thought Hong Ling still cherished their old affection.
But her next words plunged him into utter despair.
"And after all that time, you still don't understand the rules of